Google's Latest Disruptor: Free Turn-By-Turn GPS Maps

Dan Frommer

Oct. 28, 2009, 10:15 AM

Google is about to make life trickier for GPS mapping companies, and could make its Android platform more attractive: It's releasing a new, free turn-by-turn GPS mapping service, which will launch next week on Motorola's Droid phone.

It will follow on more Android 2.0 phones, and could eventually follow on Apple's iPhone. According to Gizmodo, "Google implied they are working closely with Apple now on it."

This is potentially bad news for GPS companies such as TomTom and Navigon and telcos like AT&T, which charge up to around $100 per year for this sort of service.